The benevolent banner., 1887-08-13
UNPUBLISHED LETTERS BY LIN
COLIN AND GREELEY.

fore the Legislature, partly through the
influence Of leading Republicans in 9th
er States. The authors publish. for the
first time, characteristic letters of this
period by Lincoln and Greeley. Lin
coins letter to Wilson is dated June 1st,
1853, and is as follows: II have never
said or thought more" wrote he, "as to
the inclination of some of our Eastern
Republican friends to favor Douglas,
than expressed in your hearing on the
evening Of the Dist April, at the State
Library in this place. | have believed
do believe nOw-that Greeley, for in
stance, would be rather pleased to see
Douglas reelected over me or any other
Republican; and yet | do not believe it
is so because of any secret arrangement
with Douglas-it is because he thinks
Douglass superior position, reputation,
experience, and ability, if you please,
would more than compensate for his lack
of pure Republican position, and,
therefore, his reelection do the general
cause Of Republicanism more coed than
would the election of any one Of our bet
ter undistinguished pure Republicans.
l do not know how you estimate Gree
ley, but | consider him incapable Of cor
ruptlOn or falsehood He denies that he
directly is taking part in favor Of Doug
las, and | believe him. Still his feeling
constantly manifests itself in his paper,
which, being so extensively read in Hi
nols, is, and will continue to be- a drag
upon us. | have also thought that Gov
ernor Seward, too, feels about is Greeley
does; but not being a newspaper editor,
his feeling in this respect is moi much
manifested. 7 have no idea that lie is,
by conversation or by letter, urging llli-
nois Republicans to vote for Douglas.
Gas to myself, LET me pledge you my
word that neither | nor any friend, SO
far as | know, has been setting stake
against Governor Seward. No combi-
nation has been made with me, or pro-
posed to me, in relation to the next pres
Identlal candidate. The same thing is
true III regard to the next governor Of
our State. am not directly or Indirect
iy committed to any one; nor has al Y
one made any advance to me uron the
subject. I've had many free CONVEX
sations with john Wentworth; but lie
never dropped remark that led me to
suspect that lie wishes to be governor |
Indeed it is due to truth to say that |
while he Las uniformly expressed him
self for me, lie has never limited at any
condition The signs are that we shall !
have good convention on the 10TH ard |
| think our prospects generally are i'm
proving some every day [ believe we
Iced nothing 50 much as to get rid OF
unjust suspicious CT one another"
Greeley's letter is as follows:
New York, July oath, 1853.
''MY FRIEND: You have taken your
own course-don't try to throw the
Dlaul6 Oh OUHeIS' LOU HdNV AOPoAAo0
Douglas, who might have been cOncli-
lated and attached to our own side
whatever he NAV n0W find 1t necessary to
say. or do, and, instead of helping us in
other States, you have thrown load
upon us that may probably break us
down. You knew what was the almost
unanimous desire of the Republicans Of
other States; and you spurned and in
suited them. Now 60 ahead and fight it
through You are in for i /, and it does
no good to make up WY faces. What |
have said ia the Tribune since the fight
was resolved on. has been in good faith,
intended to helm Won throurh. If Lin
,,l, would f,rl+ ~ 4, +ho r-orl, olso